Love thy Enemy
by amaven
Summary: Shepard's plan to defeat the Reaper threat puts her at odds with her love Kaiden. Takes place roughly a year after ME2
1. Chapter 1

**Did a small update, fixed a few errors and Kaidan's name (I could have sworn it was Kaiden, my bad :D)

**Chapter 1**

Kaidan had been summoned to meet with the Citadel Councilors, it wasn't the first time going there. The first time had been with Shepard…

That was over three years ago, now. Right after Eden Prime. He had already started to care about her then, she had saved him from experiencing whatever that beacon held. After all the difficulty she had the visions he never let that mistake go. He never envied her that burden she carried.

They had eventually grown to love each other, and the night before Ilos still sent tingles down his spine when he thought of it. He thought of it a lot. They had completely opened themselves to each other, mind, body and heart. He had never been that vulnerable before, and he had a feeling that she hadn't, either.

When she died a few months after that…it broke his heart. It took him a while to even register that she was really gone, gone for good. And just when he felt like he was healing, beginning to remember their moments together with fondness instead of lonely regret, she was alive again.

He had a second chance, but she was working with Cerberus. He had screwed it up. He turned a deaf ear to his heart, and let his mind rip her a new one. How could she betray the Alliance and the Council? He had regretted it the moment he was too far away to change it. Sending her a message and practically begging her forgiveness.

And he was granted a third chance. She had survived destroying the Collectors and come to find him. She was still the same woman she had been before, but at the same time she had changed. The Council betraying her had hurt her. They spent a few weeks together at his apartment on the Citadel…before the Council sent the order to have her arrested for working with a terrorist organization. They grounded her and her ship before she had, somehow, outsmarted them and got away with her crew and her ship. Sending him a message that when her work was over, if he could wait, they could start back up where they had left off. If the Council still wanted to arrest her after she brought back evidence of destroying the Reaper threat she'd worry about it then.

He hadn't heard anything from her since then, and not much about Cerberus, either. He could imagine her working tirelessly, doing good deeds in between her planning to save the galaxy.

"Commander Alenko, thank you for agreeing to meet with us," Councilor Anderson said. "We have an urgent mission that we need your help with."

"I'll do what I can, Councilor, but I'm Alliance," Alenko said.

"That will be changing," the asari Councilor said gently. "Commander Alenko, we wish to invite you to join the Spectres."

He nearly laughed, but after a quick thought it wasn't that humorous. "Councilor, I've never been evaluated as a Spectre candidate. Why would you offer me this?"

"Never officially," the turian said. "But for several months you worked very closely with Commander Shepard. We have her reports, her reviews on the crew. She thought very highly of you, recommended you for promotion within the Alliance. Stated that your biotics and technical skills were highly effective in multiple situations. Able to command respect of a team."

"Shepard proved herself to be the best of the best, at one time," the salarian said.

"Alenko, you worked closely with Shepard. You learned from her. We need that kind of talents on this mission," the turian said.

"What is the mission?" Alenko asked.

"We need you to find Kate Shepard, and neutralize the threat she represents to the Council," the asari said.

"I'm sorry…did you just ask me to _kill_ Commander Shepard?"

"No," Anderson said quickly. "We hope that your relationship with her…you can talk her into coming back peacefully. There are disturbing reports from our infiltration teams that Cerberus plans an attack on the Citadel, Shepard is possibly behind the attack."

"Shepard wouldn't attack the Citadel, sir," Alenko argued.

"Even if Shepard wouldn't, she has been a fugitive from justice for over a year," the asari said. "As a Spectre we trust your judgment to use whatever you deem necessary to complete the mission…though we would prefer Shepard to come back alive. With your history and experience, we believe you the only one alive capable of doing so."

Kaidan thought about it, and answered. "I'm going to need a good ship."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Shepard sat in Afterlife, a bar in Omega, with Garrus and Tali. "Is it weird that I still get excited coming in here?" Garrus asked casually. "Makes me want to take out my gun."

"Keep it in your pants, Garrus," Tali said casually.

"God, I can't go anywhere with you two," Shepard said. "I'm going to sit at the bar."

She flagged down Forvan, and he set a drink in front of her and walked away quickly, nervously.

"What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" a man said, sitting down next to her.

She didn't look, but the corners of her lips twitched in a smile, "I've heard worse pick up lines."

"I was afraid if I waited too long to think of a really great one, I might lose you," he said.

She turned in her chair to face Kaidan, and he began to return her smile, "Can't say I'm not happy to see you, but…what are you doing here?"

"Duty," he said. "Council asked me to have you come back to the Citadel."

She looked at him sadly, and waved to the bartender, "Forvan, get my friend here the blue special."

The batarian bartender put a blue drink in front of Kaidan, and hurried away from Shepard again. He put his hand around the glass, just staring at her. "They want you detained, but they don't want to treat you as a prisoner. They've been getting some intelligence of an impending attack on the Citadel."

She nodded, "No physical evidence, but they believe it, huh?"

"Bit of a double standard, considering what they did, I know. Fact is, you've shown them what you are capable of doing. They know if you really want to hit the Citadel, you can and will. They are scared to death of you, Kate. Come back with me, and show them there is nothing to be afraid of. I'm asking you as a friend, before I ask you as a Spectre."

She shook her head, "I heard the rumor that they made you a Spectre, but I didn't want to believe it. You know how well they treat their own. Hell, Kaidan, I can't believe you accepted it."

"I still haven't heard you say those rumors about you attacking the Citadel are false," he said.

"Doesn't matter what I say," she said. "The Citadel still wants me in custody one way or another. You know what I'm fighting for. I know you don't agree with where I'm getting my help, but you know the importance."

He shook his head, "Cerberus may be planning to risk thousands, maybe millions, of lives if they hit the Citadel. Whether or not you are involved. I know the threat of the Reapers. But there are still other problems that have to be taken care of for the galaxy to even be worth saving."

She smiled sadly, and put a hand to the side of his face, "Damn, I taught you well." She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "Well, Kaidan, good luck. And…congratulations. I have to get my team and head out. Enjoy your drink."

"I take that as…"

"I'm not letting you take me in, Kaidan," she said, standing up. "You have to do what you think is right. And…I have to do what I think is right. And that's not giving up and letting the Council keep me from saving them."

He watched her leave with Garrus and Tali, then turned back to the bar and shook his head. He had hoped, for a moment…but it just hadn't worked. He didn't know why he expected anything else than what he got. However, she still hadn't denied the impending attack on the Citadel. She couldn't be really planning…

He lifted the glass, it smelled good, and began to bring it to his lips. A turian stopped him, grabbing his arm in a firm grip, "You don't want to drink that."

"Why not?"

The turian sat next to him, "Its poison."

"What…" he gasped, smelling the drink again.

"Well, not poisonous to me. But a human, it'll make you sick as hell. That human you were talking with, I know her. You piss her off recently?"

"I guess so," Kaidan said, pushing the glass away.

"If she wanted to kill you, she would have done it."

Kaidan nodded, "I know. But I'm not they type she kills. She just wants me out of the way for a while, I guess."

"Dangerous business," the turian muttered. "I'm Sidonis, by the way."

"Commander Alenko," Kaidan introduced himself. "How…how exactly do you know Shepard?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

It had been two weeks since she had stopped in Omega, and she had pushed her meeting of Kaidan in the back of her mind, with all her other memories of him. All were painfully special in one way or another.

"Shepard! Ship signature just popped up, right on our ass!" Joker called on the intercom.

"Call general quarters," she ordered. "Hold until we get recognition."

"Uh…holy shit," Joker muttered on the intercom. "Alliance ship, Commander. You got to see this."

Shepard made it to the cockpit, and a slow smile forming on her lips. Not only was it Alliance, it was a stealth frigate off of the Normandy design. And it was being commanded by Council Spectre Alenko. "Alenko, I think you need a better pilot. The idiot disengaged the stealth systems. If you want, bring him over. We can have a drink while Joker can show him how it's done."

Kaidan smiled on his ship, "Ah, no offense, Shepard, but I'm not sitting down for another drink with you."

"I am sorry, Kaidan. I hope it wasn't too uncomfortable, but I know you could handle it. Still, didn't expect you to take this long to catch up," she said with a grin.

"Oh, well someone actually saved me from that trick you pulled, so no harm no foul," he said. "Took me a while to get a good team together, though. You know how that is. Now, Shepard, I'm not going to fire on your ship, I don't want to endanger your crew…"

"Really? Not even a warning shot?" she teased.

"I've been ordered to take you in, Shepard. Funny, my crew thinks it's a suicide mission. You know we aren't the bad guys, though…you really going to endanger all of us? My crew and yours?"

"You bastard, you are using my own morals against me," she muttered. "You were always smart, Kaidan. Never thought I'd see the day where you used everything I told you against me."

"I'm trying to save you from making a big mistake, Shepard," he said quietly.

"So what? You just going to follow me around the galaxy? Hide and seek? Neither of us shooting at each other, just some casual banter when one finds the other? I admit things have been slow lately, but I'm not sure if I have time to mess around."

"I've always respected you, Kate," Kaidan said quietly, and she knew he meant more than just respect. "This isn't easy and the Council hopes I can bring you in peacefully. I want that to happen."

"Just tell them I died, Kaidan, easy fix," she said.

"Can't do that, ma'am."

She clenched her jaw, "Alenko, you are not in Council space right now. Last time you were out in the Terminus Systems I saved your ass from the Collectors. I carried your ass off of Virmire. And I saved your ass from that beacon on Eden Prime turning your brain to jelly. You still stand down, now!"

Alenko turned the radio off, "Fire warning shots."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"We have been targeted, preparing for evasive maneuvers," EDI said. "Do you wish to fire back, Shepard?"

"Negative," she said. "Our guns would tear them apart."

The ship rocked as shells exploded near them.

"Shepard, we have to do something," Joker said. "I'm not letting your boyfriend back there scratch our paint because he's trying to prove himself to the Council."

"Show them why you are the best, Joker," Shepard said, patting his shoulder and turning her radio back on.

"This really how you want to do it, Kaidan?" she asked.

"No, but you aren't leaving me any other choice," he said.

Alenko tracked Shepard across two systems before they finally targeted and hit one of their thrusters.

"We can't outrun them, we need to dock to fully repair," Tali said.

"Shepard, it's over. Let me dock. Surrender," Kaidan said over the radio.

"Don't you dare, Shepard. We need you," Miranda said urgently.

"They aren't going to hit us again," Shepard said. "I bet he's chewing on his lip right now, terrified that someone got injured or killed in that hit. We're going to land on Hanshan."

"But that's the…" Miranda started, and then smiled. "Perfect, Shepard. The ground team will be ready."

"No, I'm going alone," she said. "We'll see who surrenders."

"Commander, they are entering a planet's atmosphere," Alenko's pilot said.

"I can see that," he muttered. "Scan the planet, what are the conditions?"

"It's inhabited by a few small farming colonies, and a larger mining colony. Dry, safe atmosphere. Current trajectory, looks like they are heading for an abandoned research base."

"Ground team, prepare to go ashore," he called. "Follow them in."

The two ships landed a few hundred meters away, and Alenko saw Shepard jump out of the airlock and go into the base. It was worn, look like it had been through a nasty fight recently. And he realized, suddenly, it was a Cerberus base. What was in there…was she protecting something? He felt a knot form in his stomach, she really was part of Cerberus now.

"I'm going in alone," Kaidan said.

"Are you sure she won't try to kill you?" Sidonis asked.

"Yeah," he said, checking his shields and his weapon once again. "Watch the Normandy."

Joker watched as Kaidan rushed into the abandoned base, and began to lift the Normandy, maneuvering for an attack position on Kaiden's ship.

Kaiden ordered his ship to run evasive and defensive maneuvers, and heard his ship take off as well.

"You plan this, Kate?" he called, slowly going through the base. The outside looked bad, but the inside was completely mangled. Half the ceiling was caved in and walls partially removed, old crates of damaged or spoiled supplies.

"You want me, not my crew," she said. "I'm not going to let them suffer because of it."

"This reminds me, back in the old days Wrex once asked who would win in a fight between the two of us."

He could hear her laugh, "He asked everyone that. Tali got mad at him when he asked her. You plan on finding out today, Alenko?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Kate," he said.

"I don't want to hurt you, either," she said quietly.

He saw her, in the corner of his eye. She held her omni-tool up towards him, and he felt a temporary short in his biotic implants. She was really going to fight him.

He opened his omni-tool, ducking behind cover as she pulled out her pistol. Locking onto her omni-tool he disabled it.

"Damn it," she growled.

He got out of cover, and jumped back behind it as a few shots hit his shields, "Damn it!" he hissed.

"You aren't a Spectre, Kaiden," she said, moving around behind cover, and he moved, too. "You are just a tool for the Council. They know about us. They are trying to mess with me by bringing you into it."

"I know," he admitted. "I didn't take this mission for the Spectre status. I took it because I believe it's the right thing to do. The only difference between a soldier and a mercenary is what they fight for, you said that years ago. I can't sit back and let you attack the Council."

Suddenly she was right in front of him, both of their weapons trained on each other. "I'm still fighting for the right thing."

"Your methods are lacking, though," he said. "I know why you want to attack the Citadel. You want to use the Citadel Relay to go into dark space." Her lips parted in surprise, and he felt the knot in his stomach tighten. She really had been planning an attack.

Her surprise was gone before his, and she shot once. She hit his gun and it flew out of his hands, sending a vibration that ran all the way up his arm.

"There is a reason I was chosen for the Spectres, Kaidan," she said in a low voice. "You are good enough to make me have to seriously hurt you if I want to get away. Please don't make me."

Kaiden felt a shudder as his implants came back online, "I'm sorry, Kate."

Her eyes widened as he threw a wave of biotic energy at her, her pistol firing a few times into his shields before she was lifted up and thrown across the base.

She got to her feet, swaying slightly, "Glad you aren't holding back, Kaidan," she said, her voice tense as she was still trying to get her wind back. Her eyes scanned the area, looking for him. "We can probably keep this up for days, you know. I didn't want things to go down like this."

"Me either," he said from right behind her. A stab of pain in her neck as he hit her with a sedative. He grabbed her as her knees went week, her eyes open and wide, shocked. It was a dirty trick, but he had won. "Shore party to Blitzkrieg, I need a pick up."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

In orbit of the planet the two ships were playing tag, and when Blitzkrieg dropped back to the planet's surface the Normandy crew paused.

"Why are they…" Joker muttered, shit. "Normandy to Shepard, come in, Shepard."

"Joker, I just put Shepard on the Blitzkrieg," Alenko said. "You think that busted thruster of yours will let you keep pace with us…go ahead and try."

"You bastard!" Joker shouted. "She's the only one who can save us!"

"Do you wish to pursue, Jeff?" EDI asked.

"No point," Joker muttered. "It's over."

Shepard's eyes cracked open, grimacing as bright light stung at her eyes. "Commander, she is coming around. Did you give her the full dose of sedative?"

"Yeah, I did," Alenko said. "She's probably has a tolerance. Why don't you leave, Dr. Michel, this might get ugly."

Shepard got to a sitting position, swaying slightly on the gurney, "Didn't think you had it in you," she groaned.

"You couldn't expect me to sit back while you bomb my apartment, did you?"

She choked out a laugh, "Damn it, Kaidan. You think I want to go after the Reapers so badly that I'd attack the Citadel while it was populated?"

"Opening that Relay would give the Reapers access to the galaxy," he said. "Sure, we could go in after them, but they'd be coming in after us. You'd do the very thing Saren originally set out to do!"

She slowly got off the gurney, holding it until her head finished clearing, and stood straight with her hands clasped behind her back while she looked at him, "Where are my things?" she asked, not offering anything on her plans.

"Locked up," he said. "Armor, weapons, omni-tool, all of it is locked up. I can't give them back to you."

"Do me a favor and don't hand them over to C-Sec. Those bastards will steal them," she muttered.

He nodded, "Yeah, I can keep it on the ship after we dock."

"So, they made you a Normandy just to go after me?"

He smiled, "This is the Blitzkrieg. They've been working on it the past two years. After we're back I'll find out if I'll stay in command or if I'll be…reassigned."

"At least you don't trust them," she said. "Glad you aren't making the same mistakes I did. So, do you trust _me_ to have free reign of the ship, or you going to lock me in the brig?"

"This doesn't have to be like that," he said.

"Your decision, Commander. Easy question, too. You trust I won't be a threat to your crew?" she asked, her face and eyes serious, not giving him any clues.

"I don't know anymore," he said, and watched her mask fall away. Her eyes lost contact with his. He didn't like seeing that look of hurt on her face, especially when he was the one causing it. But it had to be said. She had to think about what she had been considering to do. "Can you still stomach military food?"

She frowned at him, "I would rather just be locked up, Kaidan."

"It's not that bad," he joked.

"I want to be alone," she clarified.

"This way," he nodded.

He led her to a starboard cabin, it was an observation deck. She looked around, few chairs, a cot. "No terminal."

"No communication to Cerberus," he said. "Or your team."

She sat in a chair, "When do we dock?"

"Be about an hour."

"Bye, Commander," she said dismissively.

He left her alone in the room, leaving it unlocked with a serviceman outside watching it. He had just apprehended the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, a hero a hundred times over who was being driven to desperate measures to save the galaxy that sent him to get her.

He felt like crap.

Shepard didn't turn when the door opened, and only glanced out of the corner of her eye when a turian appeared. A deep frown settled in her face, "What are you doing here, Sidonis?"

Sidonis took a seat next to her, "When you saved my life, you gave me a second chance to…"

"Betray the very person who saved you," she interrupted him and gave him a glare. "If Garrus knew you were here he'd come back for you. Guess who would be too busy to stand in front of the bullet this time."

Sidonis flexed his mandibles, "I did the right thing with the second chance you gave me. I'm sure of it," he said. "Helping Commander Alenko keep you from becoming the monster the Council thinks you are."

"I may not have a gun on me, but I can do a lot of damage with my bare hands," she said softly. "You should leave."

He nodded, "Good luck, Shepard."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kaidan held her arm as they walked through security, and took her to the Tower.

"Excellent work, Commander Alenko," the turian Councilor said. "You have your target, alive, just as we hoped."

"By keeping me here you are dooming everyone in the galaxy, not just the Citadel," Shepard said.

"Shepard, you are to be placed under C-Sec arrest where you will be interrogated," Anderson said. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, my friend."

An officer came forward and restrained her arms behind her back. The asari Councilor gave the order to have her escorted out when Shepard said, "I have supporters."

"Wait," the salarian said.

"Not just my team, but an army of them," she said. "What do you think parading me around C-Sec is going to do?"

"Your team, surely, already notified any other supporters you may have to your apprehension," the turian said silkily.

"My team is not me," she said. "The only way for them to keep any support I've generated is to make them believe I'm still with them. You publicly announce that I'm not on the run, you'll drive not only my team but other followers to rescue me."

The councilors looked trouble. "You've truly become a zealot, Shepard," the asari said, sounding sad.

"She could be bluffing," Anderson said.

Shepard cocked an eyebrow, "Rachni's lay thousands of eggs at one time. They can lay them several times a year, too."

"The Rachni Queen still lives?" The asari gasped.

"While you have been sitting on your asses, I've found a lot of species and organizations that believe me," she said. "Arresting me is going to be seen as an act of war to them. Especially since many of them don't have the best relationship with _you _Councilors."

The Councilor's spoke amongst themselves for a few moments, then returned to their podiums, "Captain Bailey, we want you to bring Shepard in for questioning. After you are done, Commander Alenko is being assigned to hold her in his custody," the asari said.

"What about my ship?" he asked.

"It will remain docked," Anderson said. "It's your ship now, Commander. We just need you to stay on this case longer." Anderson looked at his old friend, "I hope you comply with us, Shepard. I'd ask you to do it for me, as a friend…"

"You can't call me that anymore, Cap," she said. "You're one of them now."

Kaidan ran his hand through his hair and watched as she was led away. After carefully veiled threats she was being led by an officer, her head high, hands cuffed behind her back. Where was the woman he had loved?

Alenko had a few hour break while C-Sec questioned Shepard. He stopped at his apartment to check personal messages, there were none, and shower and change. The Council was having him handle this with discretion, keeping her in a safe house with security rather than a prison cell. He went to that safe house, disabling any thing that could be used to get communications out, then went to C-sec to retrieve his prisoner.

Two C-Sec guards were standing outside the room, and inside was the sound of something breaking. "What the hell is going on in there?"

"Interrogation," they said.

"Sounds like a beating," Kaidan said with a frown.

"Commander," Captain Bailey stepped forward, "Shepard wasn't talking. Sent in my best man to…"

"Shepard is in there?" Kaidan snapped. Bailey nodded. "Open this damn door."

Kaidan saw Shepard sitting with her hands still restrained behind her back at a broken table, hunched over a little. The drell 'questioning' her raised his fist, "Tell me what Cerberus is planning! When is the attack?" he said in a raspy, threatening voice.

Kaidan grabbed his arm and shoved him back, "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"My job," the drell answered.

"Not anymore," Kaidan said, taking the restraints off Shepard. It was the only thing keeping her in her chair, and she fell forward. He grabbed her with one arm, pulling her to her feet only to find she was unconscious. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the clinic.

Her face was a mess, broken and bleeding and bruised. Her eyes nearly swollen shut. The doctor at the clinic got her to wake up, healed the cuts and set her nose. The bruises and swelling would take time to go down.

Kaidan took her to her temporary apartment, the safe house. "That cold pack helping at all?" he asked quietly.

She hadn't said anything to him since she woken up except 'that damn drell' followed by a select choice of several expletives.

"If I had known that was going to happen…I would have prevented it," he said, his voice pleading with her to believe him. She had found her way to a table and was sitting there, hunched over. Her face on the table, pressing the cold pack to her eyes. "You know that." She didn't acknowledge him at all, he wondered if she had fallen asleep or…worse, the doctor who had looked at her missed something. "Kate…"

"Just go, Kaidan."

His heart had been through too much the past three years. Falling in love with her, losing her, finding her again and finding out she worked with the enemy. He had faltered when he heard she was going into the Omega 4 relay, and seeing her after her victory against the Collectors had made him love her more. But they couldn't stay together. And this, he felt his heart breaking all over again because…Shepard was crying.

He pulled her into his arms, and she tried to fight. Trying to shove him away, hitting his chest. His strength took her, though, and pulled her to his chest. And after a few moments she gave up trying to fight his embrace, going weak in his arms and crying.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"I'm not perfect, you know," she said quietly. They were sitting across from each other at the table. The swelling around her eyes was down, her face only red from the healing cuts. He bet it stung like hell.

"I always knew that."

She shook her head, "No. No, you didn't. Hell, even now I bet you still admire me."

"We have something special," he agreed. "It's complicated now…"

"Complicated? You arrested me, brought me back to the Citadel, left me in the care of a fairly corrupt C-Sec officer, and now we have something special yet complicated?" She shook her head. "I know why you are doing this, and I know you think you are making the right choice. Hell, you are. You did," she admitted. "But it doesn't change what I have to do."

"Maybe if you take some time to really think it over. If the Reapers get through, you _know_ what will happen. I know you want to finish what we started, but endangering the whole galaxy isn't the right way."

She nodded, "I know it sounds crazy." She sighed, putting the cold pack over her eyes again, "Good tactics taking me down, by the way."

"You think so? Was afraid you think it was dirty."

"Oh, it was. Sneaky, rotten, totally didn't expect you to stoop to that level. It's what I would have done if I was in your shoes," she said, her lips curling into a smile.

"Well I had to do something, you were wearing down my shields."

She took the pack away from her eyes to look at him, "After everything you think I would have actually shot you?"

"You did, and you were threatening me," he shrugged.

"Kaidan…" she looked bothered by what he had said. "You are the only person I ever loved, Kaidan. I'm not exactly emotionally stable when it comes to relationships…but I clicked with you."

"You gave me a poisonous drink on Omega."

"It only would have made you a little sick," she said in defense. "If I really wanted to kill you I would have ordered the green one. Hell, I could have shot you dead there, no one would have cared. I am sorry about that."

"Apology accepted," he said.

She laughed, "One hell of a couple, huh?"

"We were at one time."

"So what are my restrictions? Can I leave this place at all?" she asked.

"Maybe with an escort, if you behave."

"Behave? Oh, like tell you my great plan?" she asked. He nodded. "What if I told you the next piece of my plan, just a small piece. What would that get me?"

"Maybe a stroll around the Presidium," he said.

"With you?"

"Yeah, you can't get rid of me," he said.

"I'll take it," she said. "First thing, I have to escape the Citadel."

He grimaced, "That isn't making me want to go easy on you, Kate."

"Honestly, Kaidan, I could escape any time I wanted," she said. "But, this is the closest thing I've had to a break in a long time. And…you are here with me. I can stick it out for a month or two. I'm in no hurry."

He shook his head, "After all this time you still want to try to have a relationship? Just delay your escape plan until you are needed back at Cerberus?"

"Tell me this isn't going to be more than an inmate/prison guard relationship and I'll plan my escape now," she said.

"Don't do this to me," he said quietly. "Don't mess with me like this. I'd rather you have a gun at my head."

"No gun," she shrugged. "I know you've been through a lot…so have I. But…you are the only person I think about. The only person that…when it's over, if we survive, I want to come back to. Has that changed for you?"

"You are my prisoner now, Kate," he said, "It can't be like that."

She smiled sadly, "I suppose even Spectres have to have some guidelines. Well…at the very least, it was good to see you again…before…yeah."

"Shepard, there is no escape. Security is tight, you wouldn't get through C-Sec to the docks. Plus, you don't have a ship."

"Doubt me, and I will prove you wrong," she said sadly, getting up from the table. He watched her closely as she went to the terminal. It didn't have access to the extranet, the Council didn't want her to be able to contact Cerberus. She didn't even have an omni-tool, he had confiscated it.

She opened the terminal's casing, and he got up as she began to rework some of the wires. He grabbed her wrist, "Shepard…"

She grabbed his wrist, her fingers pressing into the soft flesh until he released her, and then twisting his arm behind his back and shoving him away, "Kaidan, I'm not messing around. I have a job to do."

He flexed his fingers, making sure his arm wasn't broken, "Shepard, don't mess with that terminal."

She turned her back on him, and resumed adjusting the terminal so she could get a message out to the Normandy. Easy enough, just took some time. Would go faster if she had her omni-tool.

She heard Kaidan's gun, and she turned. He was aiming for her leg, "I don't want to have to take you back to the med clinic," he said. "But I…Shepard, don't make me…"

She kicked the gun out of his hand and stepped forward, punching him in the chest. "Seriously? Pulling a gun on an unarmed woman?"

He rubbed his chest, "You aren't exactly defenseless."

"Remember that," she said, going back to the terminal.

He got behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pinning her arms to her side, "Shepard, don't…please…"

She brought her foot down on his, but his grip around her stayed firm. Next she got her leg on the chair, pushing and throwing him on his back. When they fell his grip loosened slightly, and she got her arm free enough to elbow him in the gut.

He ignored the pain, grabbing her arm and twisting it back, pinning her face down to the floor. "Seriously? You are going to fight me?" he asked, angry and astonished.

"This is your fault, Kaidan. I'm not going to punish anyone else for it," she said, bringing her foot backwards and managing to kick him with the heel of her boot in the back of the head.

He fell forward and released her, and they got to their feet at the same time. He went to grab her, and she went to punch him. He blocked her punch with one hand and grabbed her with his other. She brought herself forward, butting him in the head hard.

He groaned and stumbled back, and glared at her.

"Shit," she said, jumping behind a sofa as he reached out with a biotic attack.

"It's over, Shepard," he said. "Now I have to have your terminal removed."

She jumped over the sofa and charged at him, hitting him in his middle and throwing him against the wall. He grunted as she hit him with a series of strong punches to his kidneys.

He grabbed her wrists and turned, slamming her against the wall and pressing himself against her so she couldn't move and pinning her arms there with his hands. She was quick, but he was strong. She grimaced as her skull hit the wall, but looked at him with focused eyes. She wasn't done yet. The fight was his now, she knew it, but she wasn't giving up. He had abandoned her, hurt her, let her be hurt…

His body took over, and he forced his lips against hers before he knew what he was doing. Still holding her arms against the wall firmly. There was resistance, first. Then her lips moved against his, finding them comfortable after all this time. The kiss so hard, so needy, that their teeth clashed. Her body changed under him, from a tense defensive posture to something more relaxed and giving.

He released her arms and they wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. His hands moved down her back, to her hips, and she curled one leg around his waist.

He broke the kiss, taking a deep breath. He couldn't do this. She was his prisoner…he was her keeper.

His body ignored his mind and his lips went to her jaw, down to her neck. She lifted her chin, taking in quick, excited breaths as his lips and tongue caressed her clavicle.

Her finger tips digging into his back. His hands gripping her thighs and lifting her up, her legs wrapping around his waist tightly.

He carried her to the sofa, lowering her down to it with him on top of her, pulling at her clothes as she clawed at his shirt.

_Come on, Alenko! Are you a soldier or an animal? What is wrong with you, man?_ A voice screamed in Alenko's mind, but when Kate's fingers gently touched his face, her eyes looking like they did the night before Ilos, the voice shut up.

Every time before with Shepard he had cherished, taking it slow. A sensual passion.

He was still fired up over their fight, this time was different. When she rolled them off the couch, making him fall on his back as she got on top of him, kissing his chest and neck slowly, it drove him crazy. He wrapped her up in his arms, rolling her onto her back and taking her. His hand at the small of her back, pulling her towards him as he pushed into her. She gasped his name, her body trembling around him.

He was gasping for breath as he finished, falling beside her. She moved to her side, putting her arm over his chest and her head on his shoulder. Then she tensed, sitting up, "God, I'm so stupid."

"What?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath.

"Despicable," she grumbled, shaking her head. "Using my feelings against me…damn you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I confessed…I…you are the only person I open my guard to. I say I love you, you say no…only way you could keep me here was just fucking with my heart and hormones. You have changed."

"You think that…." He sat up, grabbing her and struggling with her as she resisted. She thought he had just made love to her to keep her from attempting escape? "I love you, Kate. Look at me." Her eyes were furious as they moved to his. "If things were different…"

"They aren't," she said.

"Doesn't change how I feel about you. I was an emotional mess after Brain Camp. I learned to deal with it…but I never got over it completely. And then there was you. When you died I thought I would never have another chance at…at love. You came back and I screwed up that second chance. And…the third. And…this fourth try isn't going that well, either. But no one in the galaxy can compare to you."

She looked torn, her eyes looking around the room and coming back to him.

"It doesn't make sense, even still, that we would match up," he said softly. "I love you. I…this is wrong, but I want you. I can imagine being with you anywhere. But every time I lose you…"

"And you're going to lose me again," she muttered.

"I never thought, even after Horizon, I'd actually be fighting against you," he said in a low voice. "Kate…I know what you want to do, but there is always another way. Let me help you find it."

Her shoulders hunched over in defeat and she leaned into him, letting his arms wrap around her for comfort.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next month was…good. He escorted her around the Citadel, for walks or to visit stores. A few meetings with C-sec and the Council. Going to her safe house, pretending that they had a life together, that she wasn't a terrorist and he wasn't the Spectre holding her prisoner.

"It's been so long my crew has been reassigned," he told her as he escorted her to the tower.

"What about Sidonis?"

"Yeah, well, he left not long after we docked," he said.

"You know why the Council wants this meeting?" she asked.

"No. Just that Anderson called me to bring you here," he said. "Must be important, they don't usually hold them so late."

They reached the top of the Tower, only to find it empty. She looked around, leaning against the railing of the platform, "You sure Anderson asked you to meet?"

"Yeah," he said, turning as the door opened on the other side. He tensed a bit as Captain Bailey and the drell that had beaten the crap out of Shepard her first day back walked forward and towards them. "Stay here." He went to meet them.

"Commander Alenko," Bailey nodded politely.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm afraid there is a problem, Commander," Bailey said gravely.

Kaidan felt Shepard's hand on his arm, and thought nothing of it until she took the pistol from his hip, "Sorry, Kaiden."

Bailey and the drell pulled their weapons on him, and he slowly turned to face Shepard. His face looked shocked and hurt as she took a few steps back from him pointing his own weapon at him. "Shepard, what is going on?"

"Kolyat, check him for weapons. Get his omni-tool," she said. "Detain him."

The drell, Kolyat, grabbed Kaiden's omni-tool and secured his hands behind his back. He threw the omni-tool to Shepard.

"Kate…" he said softly.

"It's now, Kaidan. The attack is now," she said. "I wish I could say everything was going to be okay…but I don't know."

"All this time..."

"Was our time," she said. "But…it's over. If you can forgive me after…well…"

"You open this relay and we are all dead, Shepard!" he snapped.

"Doing nothing is worse," she said. "Make the call, Bailey."

"Tower is secure," Bailey said in his radio.

Shepard sat Kaidan down, his restraints were sending occasional electrical jolts to dampen his biotics. "I don't like this," she said softly. "There is too much at stake…"

"So you use and then betray me, got it," he said, grimacing. "And these two?

"I've been setting this up since I woke up from a coma. Since before I destroyed the Collectors," she said. "I do love you, Kaidan. This past month…it was selfish. I could have done it without you…but I wanted some time with you. But now…"

"I don't want your excuses," he said.

She nodded, "Okay."

Councilor Anderson stepped out of the elevator, walking up to Kaidan and Shepard. "Councilor, she's…"

Anderson grabbed Shepard's hand, "We don't have much time."

"Of course…" Kaidan grimaced.

"This has to be done," Anderson said. "I would hope you could understand that."

"You don't even know what is going to happen if you activate this relay," he argued. "You are a Councilor. You are responsible for _trillions_ of lives in Council Space! Not to mention the millions that live right here on the Citadel."

"That's why I'm here, to save them," Anderson said. "The other Councilors are already on Shepard's ship."

"My crew?" Shepard asked.

"They are prepping it," he said.

"And I bet Bailey made sure they docked without any problems?" Kaidan guessed.

"Afraid he couldn't," Shepard said. "Every Council controlled port is looking for the Normandy. They arrived with fake IDs on a transport vessel. But I have a new ship, at least temporarily. The Blitzkrieg."

"What…how?" Kaidan asked.

"Cerberus played a role in creating the original Normandy. They played a role in making the Blitzkrieg, they knew we'd need more than one stealth vessel. While the Blitzkrieg isn't as good as the Normandy, it'll get us into Dark Space undetected, and if this works…back out."

"And them? They on Cerberus's payroll?" he nodded to the C-Sec officers

"Kolyat's father was part of my team before he died," she said. "Bailey helped his father keep him out of prison. Thane told his son what we were doing, Kolyat told Bailey…he began to believe in our cause."

"And Anderson was always on your side, like always," Kaidan muttered.

"Anderson and I have been working together since I joined Cerberus, looking for ways to take down Cerberus while preparing for a Reaper invasion. The other Councilors barely trusted him, he's been too vocal by supporting me." Alarms began to sound across the station, sounding the evacuation. "He gained some support when he suggested sending someone to arrest me."

"Your idea?" Alenko looked at Anderson with scrutiny.

"Mine, actually," Shepard said. "I needed a safe way back to the Citadel. He convinced them if someone was sent to bring me back peacefully that I might do it. But…the Councilors decided on you. I didn't expect that. Threw me off, I had to scramble to find a way to keep you alive without making you suspicious."

"That little fight on Hanshan did the trick," he said with a grimace.

"You didn't think gaining Sidonis' help was suspicious?" she asked. "Just happened to be at Omega when we were? I planted him there, just in case things got too rough." She took a deep breath. "Anderson, you should take him to the next evacuation shuttle. As soon as the last one leaves I'm closing the Wards."

"You don't have access to that," he said.

"I will," she said. "I wish you hadn't gotten pulled into this, Kaidan."

The elevator slid open and Shepard's team walked out.

"Shepard, the data," Tali said, tossing an omni-tool.

Shepard caught it and opened it, "This is good. Taking the master control," she said. "I'm in, wards set to close in five minutes. Let's get everyone to the ship."

Alenko fought through the restraints, forcing a biotic push that snapped them in half and released him. "No! You can't do this!"

Samara, Jack, and Miranda grabbed him with their biotics.

"Don't hurt him!" Shepard ordered.

"We are simply restraining him," Samara said calmly.

Shepard waved her omni-tool, and Kaidan convulsed as his implants temporarily went offline with the dampening hack she sent to them, "He's fine. Let him go."

Kaiden fell to his knees, and slowly stood up, his knees wobbly. She touched his face, and he flinched from her touch. "This is the hardest thing I've ever done," she said. She looked at Bailey and Anderson, "Take him."

"Shepard, I want to go with," Anderson said.

She shook her head, "If we don't make it back, we still need one Councilor who will do something about the threat."

"You are kidnapping the three most powerful people in the galaxy," Kaidan accused her. "You are opening the relay that can kill us all!"

She looked at him, "Kaidan, do you think I'd really do this if I thought it wouldn't work? We have control of this relay, all other relays near the Citadel are being shut down just in case. We're uploading a massive system change that is going to block Reaper ships from accessing this relay. Your ship is being uploaded to be the only ship with access to get in. We prove to the Councilors the Reaper threat, once and for all. That was the plan all along. Are you happy?"

"No," he said.

"Neither am I," she said. "Get him out of here, you are running out of time."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Shepard stood behind Joker as they watched the last evacuation shuttle leave. "Citadel is empty," he announced. "Ward arms closing in 4, 3, 2, 1. This is it, Commander."

Joker took the Normandy out of dock and got it above the tower.

"Activating Citadel Relay," she said quietly. "Stealth systems up?"

"Yes, ma'am," Joker said.

"Are you going to kill us?" the asari councilor said.

"No," Shepard said. "You always said you wanted proof, I always said I wanted you to get off your asses and do something. We're killing two birds with one stone. Human expression, it means two tasks at the same time. I'm going to give you proof. I'm taking you right into Dark Space, you'll see the Reapers yourselves."

"We'll have you put in prison the rest of your life!" the turian councilor snarled.

"I don't care," Shepard said. "I'll save this galaxy whether you want me to or not."

The Blitzkrieg traveled through the Citadel Relay, and became the first organic ship to do so. There were no fuel depots, no star charts, nothing to help them. No contact back to the Traverse.

"Scans coming in," Joker said.

Shepard watched as Reaper ships were detected. Hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands.

"Back through the relay," she said.

"We just got here," Joker said.

"Sovereign was more powerful than several of our ships put together," Shepard said. She looked at the three Councilor's, their faces terrified. "Do you believe me now?"

The asari looked up at her, "We cannot fight a force this strong. What do we do?"

"Don't ask me. I'm a prisoner," Shepard said. "Take us back through, Joker."

"The Wards are opening," Anderson said as the shuttle he was on watched over the Citadel. "They made it through and back."

"How do you know?" Kaidan asked, his restraints had been taken off but he was still pissed.

"Shepard's override was going to allow them an hour. If she made it back sooner, she wasn't going to leave the Wards closed."

Kaidan sat in the back as the Council met with Shepard and her team. "This is…disturbing, and compelling evidence, Shepard," the turian said.

"I don't get tired of telling you I told you so, Councilor," she said, but she wasn't amused. "This is what you need to do…"

"You presume to give us orders, Shepard?" the salarian said.

"Seeing as you decided to remove the charges of treason for working with a terrorist organization and kidnapping the three of you…yeah, I'm thinking you want my help," she said. "But this should be good. What do _you_ think we should do?"

"They are trapped in dark space. With the research Cerberus has done they have effectively prevented the Citadel relay from accepting Reaper IFFs. We don't need to do anything," the asari said.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Shepard groaned. "That's it, who do I have to shoot to go to jail?"

"Shepard," Anderson said firmly.

"The technology in place is a patch," Shepard said. "Our technology still hasn't come close to that of the Reapers. We may be safe for this generation, but in the future they will find a way in. They made this station, they will find a way."

"You want us to send a fleet to battle thousands of ships like Sovereign? The casualties…" the asari said, shaking her head.

"May be great," Shepard said. "We would need a massive cooperation effort from all organizations and species. Seems that someone in here should have been working on cooperating with the Terminus systems. Working on forging allies. Uniting the galaxy instead of tiptoeing around any issue that might 'upset' the neighbors."

"The Rachni?" the turian questioned.

"For a start," Shepard said. "Turian, Asari, Salarian, and Human military, all of them, every ship they can spare…"

"Doing so will leave our colonies open to pirates and slavers!" the turian argued.

"Recruiting soldiers," Shepard continued. "Building fueling ships, because once we are out there it is only light year after light year of emptiness. All ships need to be upgraded. Hull, shields, weapons…"

"That will bankrupt our nations!" the salarian said.

"This isn't a war that is going to be fought on the ground," Shepard said. "Our rifles are worthless against a Reaper. Their ships are massive, and more advanced than anything we have."

"Declaring war against them…" the salarian began.

"THEY ALREADY DECLARED WAR!" Shepard shouted. "Unless you want the galaxy to start over, as it did after the Protheans, and every other organic species that came before us, this has to be done!"

The Councilors, one by one, nodded gravely. "Shepard, you will work with us as we reach out to those that must be our allies for this. Ambassadors and diplomats from all races must be present in a conference so we can discuss it further. Until then, to avoid public panic, we do not wish to make a public statement."

"That is acceptable," Shepard nodded.

"We want you there at the conference. Plans will begin to bring the races together, united, against this massive threat."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The Normandy docked in the Citadel, and Shepard left her temporary prison and went back to her quarters on the ship.

"I thought after this…everything would make sense," she muttered.

"It's never that easy," Jacob said. "You knew that. But you made your goal, and did it. We'll finally have the support we need to get rid of those mechanic bastards."

"What if there are more out there?" she asked. "Further in Dark Space. The Collectors were making a human reaper, what if there are others like that somewhere hidden? Maybe even in this galaxy."

"You aren't losing your nerve, are you?" he asked quietly. "You have brought the Council to their knees, they are begging for your help. You can set this up, and walk away. Never see the fighting. Just find a nice spot to sit down, and wait for the outcome. You don't have to hold the galaxy on your shoulders forever, Shepard."

"I can't walk away," she muttered. "I'm just…trying to get myself ready for the unexpected."

"Shepard," Joker called, "Commander Alenko of the Alliance is requesting permission to board. Should we fry him?"

"Let him on," she said. She sighed, "Like I really need this on top of it."

"Good luck, Shepard," Jacob said.

Alenko looked at the Normandy, making his way down the corridor to the CIC. Shepard stepped out of the elevator, "Can I help you?"

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, "This way."

The elevator went up one deck, and she took him into her quarters. "EDI, some privacy, please?"

"Yes, Shepard," the blue hologram said.

"How could you set me up?" he asked.

"I told you I didn't want you involved," she said.

"You do that a lot," he said, "and it pisses me off. I don't need you to protect me…"

"I know."

"Do you?" he snapped. "On Virmire you could have saved Ashley and a salarian team. But no, you came back for me."

"You were the superior officer," she said. "Don't bring Ash back into this…"

"And joining up with Cerberus. You waited until the last minute before you ran off to save the galaxy before telling me you still loved me. You left me waiting for hours, wondering if I would ever see you again…and then when you get back…"

"Cerberus used you on Horizon to lure the Collectors!" she said. "To get to me! I'm not trying to protect you from the galaxy, Kaidan. I just don't want what I do out there to come back and shoot you in the head."

"Might just be better if you did it yourself," he said. "Damn it, Kate. It never ends! Why…why give me this month when this war is right around the corner?"

"I wish it could be simple," she said. "I mean…imagine if Eden Prime had gone smoothly. That the Reapers and Collectors had just…never existed. You think I wanted this life?"

"We both chose the Alliance and our paths after it."

"Do you think I asked to be the Hero in all of this?" she restated. "At the same time I'm the victim. The only thing I'm good at…is this. I can't settle down and have a life. Even if I survive this…I wouldn't know how."

Kaidan frowned and nodded, "Yeah. You know the same goes for me. But…this past month…"

A slow smile crept up on both their lips, "I could've gotten used to it."

"If you weren't planning the whole time to kidnap the Council and take over the Citadel," he added. "I don't know if you are just that damn good, or just that damn lucky."

"It was planned pretty well in advance," she said. "So, how much do you hate me?"

"I'm pretty pissed, still," he admitted. "But I don't hate you. I think…just some time. To finish getting my head around it."

"Then why are you here?"

"After all the times I lost you...well, I'm not taking a chance that your luck runs out early. There are some hard feelings, I don't know if they'll fade yet. But…I'm with you on this. Keep me updated, alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

Kaidan went to his apartment on the Citadel, trying to push everything that had happened out of his mind. They were really going to do it…fight the Reapers. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved, or scared.

He showered and got ready to get some sleep. He was just laying down when someone called at his door. He checked…it was Shepard.

He opened the door wearing only his shorts, "Something wrong?"

She nodded, "Yeah. I want you to hit me."

He rubbed his forehead and motioned for her to come in so he could shut the door, "Excuse me?"

"You are pissed, vent your anger. Hit me, I can take."

"I'm not hitting you, Kate," he said.

"Do something. Yell at me. Kaidan, I kidnapped the Council and held the Citadel hostage and they are asking me for my help!"

"Kate…" he let out a breath and shook his head, he was sick of talking and debating. "Let's just go to bed."

He took her hand and she followed him a few steps before stopping, "I pointed a gun at you and had you restrained so I could take over the Citadel, the very thing you arrested me for and you want to have sex?"

"It's been a long day, I just want to get some sleep," he said, walking to his room without her. He fell on his bed facedown and heard her walk in after him.

She wanted to yell or argue some more, but the smooth skin over the hard muscles of his back flexed as he moved to get comfortable made her stop. She kicked her shoes off, grumbling just out of spite, and crawled into the bed next to him. He rolled on his side, putting his arms around her and her fingers interlocked with his. "There is seriously something messed up with this…"

"Kate, shut up and sleep," he muttered. "I love you."

She smiled, "I love you, too."

**that is the end. I'm afraid writing a major space battle and joining the races is way too much. If you need a better ending we'll just say the galaxy is saved and they live happily ever after (I'm such a sucker for happy endings)


End file.
